lovenovelstory #484 - Jinling News
#484 - Jinling News
Chapter 481: News from Jinling
Zhang Chen was stunned by what his stepmother said: "Jinling? Mother?"
This was the first time he had heard any news about Jinling, and it was also the first time he had learned about his mother's situation.
"The Shen family of Jinling is the wealthiest family in the world, controlling half of the world's silk industry, and 30% of the water transport is also managed by the Shen family. You can imagine how strong the Shen family's strength is, otherwise, they would not have been valued by the Zhang family and married to your father. Your mother, Shen Lian, is the direct daughter of the Shen family. In every generation, the Shen family has women entering the palace as imperial concubines, from which one can imagine how deeply rooted their family power is," Zhang said solemnly.
"The Shen family is such a behemoth; I'm afraid I won't be accepted if I go. After all, I am a convicted man. How could the Shen family risk offending the Emperor to take me in?" Zhang Chen's words were full of doubt.
Hearing Zhang Chen's words, Zhang smiled: "Wrong! Absolutely wrong! If you go to the Shen family, not only will they accept you, but they will also take good care of you, and even protect you thoroughly under the pressure of the court."
"Why? No matter how powerful the Shen family is, they can't fight against the court, right?" Zhang Chen's eyes were full of doubt.
"Because your father made a deal with the Shen family back then, leaving a mysterious object in the Shen family. That thing is of great importance, and if the Shen family wants to unlock its secrets, they must have your help," Zhang said with a smile. "Besides, your mother is the beloved daughter of the Shen family's Old Madam. If you go to Jinling, the Old Madam will definitely spare no expense to protect you."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen glanced at Zhang, never expecting that his old man had such means, paving the way for himself early on.
"Moreover, you also have a marriage contract with the eldest daughter of the Shen family, so you must go to the Shen family," Zhang continued.
"Marriage contract?" Zhang Chen was stunned again upon hearing this, and a strange feeling surged in his heart.
"This is the order of your parents and the words of a matchmaker, so you have no say in the matter," Zhang said.
"It seems that I must make a trip to Jinling," Zhang Chen said helplessly.
"You must go! Moreover, your mother left you some things, which are stored in the Shen family in Jinling. Unless you don't want to know what your mother left you. Furthermore, the cause of your mother's death was also quite strange back then. Although your father didn't tell me explicitly, I learned a little about it during our daily chats," Zhang stared at Zhang Chen intently. "Before his death, your father repeatedly told you that if you had the opportunity in the future, you must go to Jinling, for a great secret is hidden there."
"I understand," Zhang Chen nodded in response.
"If you go south, will the Surveillance Division let you leave?" Zhang asked with a worried look.
Zhang Chen looked at Zhang. Although she came from a rural background, she was not stupid. Not only was she not foolish, but she was also extremely intelligent.
"The Surveillance Division and we are on the same side," Zhang Chen said. "Commander Xie is my sister."
Zhang looked at Zhang Chen deeply, and didn't continue to ask. The family then sat in the cabin and chatted about family matters.
At noon, Xie Xuan sent someone to invite them to a banquet. The family accepted the invitation and went. Xie Xuan was very polite to Zhang, without the arrogance of an official family. After a few rounds of wine, Zhang tactfully took the two children away first, leaving only Xie Xuan, Xie Lingyun, and Zhang Chen sitting in the main hall.
Watching Zhang and the two children leave, Xie Xuan said admiringly: "Your stepmother is a smart person."
"I also think she's quite smart," Zhang Chen agreed with Xie Xuan's words.
"If we can safely survive this calamity and you can save the 50,000 troops of the Surveillance Division, then I will personally write to the court, trying my best to intercede for you and help you clear your name," Xie Xuan promised Zhang Chen.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen showed joy on his face: "Can I really be exonerated?"
"It's very difficult! You need to join the Surveillance Division and go to the capital with me to meet the Great King," Xie Xuan said.
In Xie Xuan's view, if Zhang Chen could turn the tide in the Northern Territory, then even if he had committed a great crime, he should be exonerated.
Hearing Xie Xuan's words, Zhang Chen tapped his knee lightly with his finger, and only spoke after a long time: "What if I can't be exonerated?"
Although he didn't know what his father had done back then, he also knew that it must have been extremely serious.
"Then your supernatural powers will be abolished, and you will be exiled again," Xie Xuan said with a wry smile.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen shook his head: "Then I might as well just die in the Northern Territory."
Zhang Chen didn't want to pin his hopes on someone else's pardon. As long as his cultivation was strong enough, when he stepped into the twelfth rank, why would he need the court's pardon?
Even without reaching the twelfth rank, as long as he reached the eleventh rank, perhaps it would be enough for the court to change its attitude towards him.
Although the twelfth rank was far away, it was not out of reach for Zhang Chen.
"You have made such great contributions in the Northern Territory; this is a rare opportunity," Xie Xuan persuaded in a low voice. "Why live a clean life, and why be a sneaky rat that can't see the light of day?"
Hearing this, Zhang Chen smiled and replied: "Perhaps you're right, but I don't want to bet all my chances on the court. It's absolutely impossible for me to have my supernatural powers abolished and be exiled."
Xie Xuan saw Zhang Chen's determined expression and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes, but he didn't try to persuade him further. At the same time, he felt a little worried. Zhang Chen was so outstanding and his methods were so extraordinary that if he caused any trouble in the future, the harm he caused would be far greater than that of the King of Pingbian.
He felt that even ten Zhang Shichengs were not comparable to the Zhang Chen in front of him.
It was a pity that the ministers in the court would not listen to him, and the Emperor would never believe that a mere exiled hostage could have such potential.
"All the credit goes to you. I hope Commander Xie can reach new heights in the future and take care of me," Zhang Chen said with a smile.
"I can't take care of you, you should take care of me," Xie Xuan sighed helplessly. How could he dare to say that he would take care of Zhang Chen? If Zhang Chen hadn't helped him several times, the tens of thousands of troops of the Inspection Division would have been wiped out by Zhang Shicheng long ago.
"Ling Yun said that you know water control techniques and can control the flow of water. What are your plans for dealing with the King of Pingbian's army next?" Xie Xuan asked tentatively.
"They are just a bunch of useless fellows. As long as I am willing, even if Zhang Shicheng has hundreds of millions of troops, I can bury them in the water and turn them into food for fish and shrimp. It's just..." Zhang Chen said, looking at Xie Xuan with concern, "That navy is the King of Pingbian's last trump card and the last remaining force in the North. Once this navy is completely submerged, the Demon Clan will no longer be restrained. Wouldn't that be the same as handing over the entire North to the Demon Clan?"
A trace of hesitation flashed in Zhang Chen's eyes. As long as he used his water control technique to turn all the water flow within his control into weak water, no matter how many troops the King of Pingbian's mansion had, it would not be enough for him to kill.
But then what?
The Demon Clan would have no scruples in the North. At that time, the situation in the North would be completely controlled by the Demon Clan. As for the 50,000 troops of the Inspection Division, they would probably be difficult to contend with. Faced with the endless army of the Demon Clan, even self-preservation would be a problem.
Xie Xuan frowned upon hearing this, with a hint of doubt in his eyes: "The King of Pingbian's army has the protection of dragon energy, how can they be so easily killed?"
In that kind of situation, powerful cultivators cannot easily take action. Faced with the dragon energy of the King of Pingbian's mansion, even twelfth-order experts would not dare to bury millions of troops rashly. After all, even twelfth-order experts cannot withstand the backlash of the natural fortune.
"I have my own way," Zhang Chen said, "What I am worried about now is that if the King of Pingbian's army suffers too much damage, and the Demon Clan loses its restraint, wouldn't that make the people of the North suffer?"
Xie Xuan also frowned upon hearing this. Xie Lingyun said from the side: "Little brother, your worries are a bit unnecessary. Do you think that with the King of Pingbian's millions of troops, you can restrain the Demon Clan? The Demon Clan has long reached an alliance with the King of Pingbian. Even if the Demon Clan is rampant, the King of Pingbian will not order his troops to attack the Demon Clan."
Zhang Chen said with a wry smile: "In that case, I don't have to worry about the King of Pingbian's army. I can just let go and kill the enemy."
"That's right! The situation in the North has already deteriorated to this point. The Human Race has no chance," Xie Lingyun said.
Zhang Chen couldn't help but sink into thought upon hearing this. Even if he wanted to take action and kill, he had to maximize the benefits. For example, he could use the millions of troops to feed the Blood God Sons. He couldn't let the millions of troops die in vain. They had to be put to good use.
"If I devour the King of Pingbian's million troops and then devour the Demon Clan's millions of troops, my Blood Control skill should be able to be upgraded by two levels, right?" Zhang Chen was a little unsure in his heart.
The main reason was that his Blood Control skill was too expensive to upgrade. Now the upgrades were in units of hundreds of millions. Zhang Chen didn't know how many lives he would have to fill in order to upgrade his Blood Control skill.
"When does the King of Pingbian plan to take action?" Zhang Chen asked.
He wanted to occupy the moral high ground and didn't want to be the first to take action.
In this world, there is a cycle of cause and effect. If the King of Pingbian takes the lead and launches a massacre against his side, then his side will be the righteous army. At that time, even if he ruthlessly kills the King of Pingbian's army, he should not have any karmic retribution on his head. After all, he is passively fighting back. He can't just wait for the other party to kill him, right?
Logically speaking, that's the way it is, but Zhang Chen is not sure whether his theory works in this world.
"My theory should still work. There is no reason to allow others to kill me, but not allow me to fight back," Zhang Chen comforted himself in his heart.
At the thought of creating millions of killings, Zhang Chen felt a huge pressure. That was millions of lives, not just chickens and ducks. Even if it were chickens and ducks, killing millions of them would cause a mental breakdown.
Those were all living lives, not lifeless soil and rocks.
As for Xie Lingyun and Xie Xuan, they would not ask Zhang Chen why he did not take the initiative to attack, because in their eyes, Zhang Chen was a smart person, and a very smart one at that. His methods were naturally above theirs.
"According to the news from the Inspection Division's water ghosts, those Demon Clan navies will arrive in the North in about seven days to join the battlefield," Xie Xuan said.
The Demon Clan's navy is not comparable to the Human Race's. The Demon Clan's navy are all underwater Demon Clans, who are born to control water flow and can breathe underwater. Rivers and lakes are their main battlefield.